1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic transmission for a vehicle, and more particularly, to a flap type electronic automatic transmission lever of which the operability, safety, and commercial value are improved by making an electronic automatic transmission lever in a flap type.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, automotive automatic transmissions have a shift mode that operates in order of a P-range, an R-range, an N-range, a D-range, and other ranges. In vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission that automatically change the shift ranges in accordance with the speed of the vehicles in motion, a transmission lever that enables a driver to change the shift mode of the automatic transmission is provided.
The driver in a vehicle with an automatic transmission can selectively change the shift mode of the automatic transmission into Parking (P-range), Reverse (R-range), Neutral (N-range), and Drive (D-range) in accordance with the driving situation by operating the transmission lever.
In the related art, tiptronic type mode converting devices have been generally used in which a transmission lever directly connected to an automatic transmission through a mechanical mechanism to be operated by a driver transmits an operation force applied to the transmission lever directly to the automatic transmission, thereby controlling the shift mode.
However, according to the shift mode converting devices for an automatic transmission of the related art in which the shift mode is changed by a mechanical mechanism, the convenience of driving is poor because the driver has to apply a force for controlling the shift mode in person through the transmission lever in order to change the shift mode, and usability of the interior of a vehicle is deteriorated because the transmission lever is disposed at the center of the console at a side of the driver's seat.
Accordingly, a transmission lever for an electronic automatic transmission has been developed in which a transmission lever is moved in a predetermined direction to a predetermined distance, even when a small operation is applied, an electronic control device senses the moving direction and movement, and an operation part, such as an actuator or an electric motor, changes the shift mode of the automatic transmission.
However, since the transmission lever for an electronic automatic transmission also has the type of operating the lever that moves forward/rearward, the operation type is similar to that of the mechanical transmission lever of the related art and it is not considered as having a remarkable advantage. Further, the spaces for the transmission lever and the accessories of the transmission lever are large, so reception spaces such as a cup holder and spaces for buttons for specific functions are insufficient. Furthermore, the transmission lever protrudes upward, so the head and body of a driver or a passenger may be seriously injured in a collision.
Further, since the transmission lever protrudes, there is still a problem in that the esthetic appearance is bad and a driver has difficulty in seeing the shift ranges due to a poor shift range display function at the transmission lever.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.